Little Orphan Rachel
by Sing.Dance.Act.Love.Glee
Summary: 8 year old Rachel Berry is growing up in a damp, horrid New York City Orphanage. With no friends or family and a horrid Head Of Orphanage - Mrs Coldstone, Rachel is left to survive on the hope of her dreams 3 But what happens when a certain new orphan boy comes along who could change her life forever! :D FINCHEL FANFICTION
1. Chapter 1

**So...a NEW fan-fiction! I kind of lost inspiration for my other unfinished ones, but this one will be different because I already have a few chapters written and I will upload at least once a week :D**

**My inspiration for this is taken from the Broadway Musical (which I also happen to be staring in at the moment) Annie, and of course its a Glee fan-fiction. This story is AU so will include many characters that I created myself as well as a young Miss Rachel Berry and other Glee characters along the way :D x **

**So PLEASE give it a read, I can promise you will be thoroughly entertained and that's enough boring chit chat from me, I will let my work speak for itself. :D**

**Note: All rights go to Glee and FOX! Sadly, I do not own the characters...Enjoy :D **

The frost clouded Rachel's vision as she tried to look out the small window situated above her bed. She pulled the sleeves of her tattered sweater over her hands as she reached to unlock the cold latch and open the window. A cold breeze wafted through the small opening that was created and she welcomed it as it spread goosebumps across her cheeks. A loud voice startled her and she turned to face the door abruptly.

"Miss Rachel Berry, what are you doing? Shut that window immediately. You may want to contract pneumonia but the other children in this room may not share the same opinion."

"Sorry Mrs Coldstone, I just wanted some fresh air." Rachel pleaded the stern, ageing lady with her own deep brown eyes, hoping to avoid punishment.

"Next time you'll be sorry. I will throw you out on the street and then you'll get plenty of fresh air!" Mrs Coldstone yelled, "This is an orphanage, not a daycare centre, don't you forget that. Your parents didn't want you and neither do I!"

Rachel folded her arms across her chest half-heartedly. She was used to the derogatory comments that were often screamed at her by the Head of Orphanage, Mrs Coldstone. It was very clear that Mrs Coldstone hates children. This confused Rachel and sometimes she wondered whether the person who had given her the position had been intoxicated.

"Don't just sit there! Since your awake you can get up, get dressed and start preparing the food for breakfast." Mrs Coldstone ordered before she stormed out of the room, slamming the door and startling the five other girls in the room, who were previously sound asleep awake.

Rachel slid out from under the covers and pulled off her tattered cream sweater, tossing it in the rusty clothes chest at the end of her bed as she slipped on her favourite and only T-shirt. It was light pink in colour with the words 'I am a Star' printed across the front. The lettering used to be adorned with sequins which had fallen off a long time ago and left just a faint outline as a reminder of a better time. The elbows were patched with scraps of material and it was about 2 sizes too small. Rachel loved it none the less and as she pulled on her beige coloured cargo shorts she felt a small hand tug on her long brown wavy hair. She turned around only to find 4 year old Molly standing there, staring up at her.

Molly was a new addition to the orphanage. She had been left here two weeks ago when her parents had tragically died in a house fire and the poor little girl was having trouble settling in.

"What's the matter Molly?" Rachel questioned as she knelt down to Molly's height.

"Did Mrs Coldstone yell at you again?" Molly questioned, a sad frown forming on her lips.

"Yes she did Molly." Rachel replied gloomily, "But you know what? Soon we will be adopted by a loving family, who never yell and buy as nice new clothes." As Rachel said this she tugged on Molly's ratty blue T-shirt which only a week ago had been so clean and nice. "And, if we are super lucky, they will have voices like angels to sing us to sleep every night...and we will have no more nightmares." Rachel said as she travelled of into her own thoughts, imagining a family with beautiful parents and maybe even a brother or sister.

Before she could walk Rachel Berry knew she wanted to be a star. The only memory she had of her real parents (before they had given her New York City Orphanage at age two.) was of the soft lullaby's they used to sing to her before she would go to sleep. The soft melodies still played in her mind and even at the orphanage when she got scared she would often sing to herself.

In her opinion nothing in life mattered more than the art of performing. These were the dreams that filler her days at the orphanage and took her mind off the horrid chores and the damp, rotting smell of the rooms. Whenever she was assigned a chore she thought of the ballet, picturing herself in a pink sequinned tutu with a dazzling tiara balancing elegantly on her head. Thoughts like these helped pass the time and she often found herself making the chores into dance routines as she worked on mastering every step.

Rachel Berry. Ballerina, singer and Broadway Star. That was her dream...

Rachel was brought back to reality when she felt an ice-cold bucket of water hit her face. The droplets soaked through her top and she frantically tried to wipe the water off her face.

"No time for dreaming in here little lady, there's work to do...Let me guess, you were thinking about your stupid dream of being a Ballerina? Well, you know what I always say about dreams, dreams are like little birds, they are free and can reach the sky. But the world is full of poachers so chances are you wont be the one to fly free. There's no way you are going to be a ballerina anyway, your not beautiful for a start! Now hurry along, everyone's waiting for their breakfast."

Rachel sprinted down the long stone hallway, her feet hitting the cold, rough ground before she skidded to a halt at the kitchen door. She could smell the familiar odour of oats cooking and could tell today would be just like every other day, porridge for breakfast.

As she busied herself in the kitchen she heard the other orphans come in and take their seat. There were 11 orphans in total, 6 girls and 5 boys. The orphanage was on the verge of closure because numbers had dropped significantly in the last 6 years Rachel had been here. It's not that the chances of actually getting adopted had increased, NO, in-fact by the end of the year it would be considered lucky if even one of the 11 children got adopted. The reason for the shortage in numbers was because people in New York just weren't giving their babies up any more. This was terrific news for all those lucky, loved babies...Rachel thought, but it also meant people weren't adopting either and Rachel hated the fact that she might have to spend the next 10 years here before she legally turned 18 and was able to leave by herself. This place crushed her dreams and Rachel wanted nothing more than to get out.

With one final stir of the pot, Rachel rang the dinner bell and everyone filled up to the kitchen counter as Rachel dumped a ladle of porridge in each child's bowl. Finally she put a spoonful in her own and joined the other children and Mrs Coldstone at the old wooden table. They ate in silence, all wishing for seconds after they had finished although they all knew better than to ask. Mrs Coldstone licked the final crumbs off her plate after finishing what looked like a delicious egg and bacon roll and stood up to address the children.

"Children, today we are extremely fortunate." Mrs Coldstone began, sarcastically, "To have a delightful new child coming to live with us. This young boy is 8 years old and has just lost his parents in a car accident and has no-one else to care for him so he will be joining us here. I want you to get this place spotless and make yourself look presentable..." she turned to glare at Rachel, "Well as presentable as possible, for his arrival." she finished.

"What's his name?" Rachel questioned curious as to who would be unfortunate enough to join them here. Rachel always loved meeting new people though and she got on well with the other boys in the orphanage although they often refused to interact with her because she was, well...A GIRL! She hated how stereotypical they could be. To be totally honest she felt a little left out here. The other 5 girls all got along really well, even the new girl Molly had fitted in with them straight away, but they were different from Rachel. They didn't share the same passion or love for dance and music as she did and often left her out. She fitted in more with the boys but they didn't like to interact with girls very much and often left her alone as well.

So whenever a new child joined them Rachel jumped at the prospect of maybe having a friend who she would love and who would love her just the way she was.

"Well, Miss Berry...his name is...

**CLIFFHANGER! I know, I am sorry but I had to leave this chapter at that. Who do you think the new orphan will be, could it be Finn, Kurt, Puck or even Blaine?! You will have to favourite and follow and keep reading this story to find out! **

**3 PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE :D Thanks xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Wow the response to this fan-fiction was amazing! I am so overwhelmed...You inspired me to continue even though most of this was written late at night because of a demanding work/rehearsal schedule, I hope it satisfies your wants nevertheless and keeps you wanting more because I am thoroughly enjoying writing it :D **

**Enough of the chit-chat lets get down to business.**

**Note: Sadly I do not own the characters...they belong to GLEE and FOX**

Rachel sat there in silence as the young boy trudged through the door, emerald coloured suitcase in one hand and a khaki print stuffed bear in the other. He had dishevelled hair, lightly freckled cheeks and a light frown that seemed like a permanent feature on his face. His hazel eyes scanned the room lifelessly as his social worker said her goodbye's and left him standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Snotty nosed orphans...this is Finn Hudson!" Mrs Coldstone announced from her place behind the kitchen bench. Finn's head dropped to the floor at the mention of his name and he scuffed his worn shoe against the hard, stone floor.

"Well he's boring!" Jack, another orphan yelled out from behind Rachel and she automatically turned and elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to wince. "Ouch!" Rachel looked back towards Finn and noticed his eyes staring straight at her as a half smirk graced his features. He had seen what she had done to Jack and although Jack still writhed in pain behind her she was glad she could make this poor boy smile, at least once.

"Well, get back to work! You've had your holiday for the year. And don't tell me I never give you nothin'" Mrs Coldstone barked as they scrambled to find a scrubbing brush and bucket "And you, new kid! Put your stuff in the room over there and get scrubbing too. You will soon learn the rules of this place, don't want to find out the hard way now do ya?" Finn shyly shook his head.

Finn trudged quietly down the hall before he found the boys room and threw his stuff half-heartedly onto the nearest bed, grabbing a spare bucket and brush. Walking over to the far wall in the dining room he threw himself to the ground and started to grumpily brush away at the perfectly clean tiles.

Rachel, making sure not to be seen by Mrs Coldstone, quietly crawled along the ground over to the wall where Finn was slowly cleaning

"Hey..."she whispered quietly, trying to gain his attention. He either didn't seem to notice or was blatantly ignoring her.

"Finn..."she whispered slightly louder, causing him to drop his brush and turn around angrily.

Rachel immediately backed off as she saw the rage that flooded his eyes, but as soon as they met with hers they softened and he picked up his brush and started scrubbing once more. Rachel just sat back in silence, crossing her legs as she started on a new patch of wall. Maybe he just wasn't the talking type.

A week passed and Finn hadn't spoken one word to anyone. Snow stuck to the window frame as Rachel shut the bedroom door behind her, sitting down quietly on the bed. The other kids were enjoying their free time bouncing a ball around the dining room, laughter echoing down the corridor. Rachel was disinterested in their childish idea's of games and had a different idea of entertainment all together. She quickly checked around the room, making sure no-one could see her as she reached underneath the bed and pulled out a small golden box. The words Rachel Barbra Berry sparkled in the dim light as she carefully removed the dusty lid.

Inside the box lay her most prized possession in the world, her own pair of pink, ribbon ballet shoes. Slipping on the shoes she carefully entwined the ribbon around her legs and admired the beauty of this coveted object. Her toes may have been slightly curled in the ends but she was determined that she would never grow out of them, they were tailored for her, they would grow with her.

Standing up from the bed she ran her fingers through her hair and tyed it up into a ballerina bun with an old elastic she had found in the kitchen. Looking at her reflection in the fogged window she felt like a star. Positioning herself in the centre of the room she started to hum out a soft melody as she let her body float to the music, prancing around the bedroom she eventually started to sing out the words of 'On My Own', feeling an electric happiness pulsate through her.

Finishing the dance with a pirouette she could hear the faint sound of applause. At first she believed the echo of clapping to be her imagination trying to fulfil her experience but as she turned to face the entrance of the room, leaning up against the wooden door frame was Finn. He had a soft smile on his face as his hands let out a melodious applause. Rachel curtsied out of sheer happiness as she sat down on her bed to return her shoes to their secret hiding place.

"Finn, please, don't leave. Talk to me." Rachel beckoned when she saw him turn away from the door. He stopped suddenly, turning on his heel and staring her in the eye. Slowly shaking his head a frown once again took over his features as his gaze moved to the floor. Rachel quickly stood up and

walked towards him, leaning down and taking one of his hands in hers.

"There is no need to be afraid." She comforted him, rubbing soft circles around the inside of his palm. "I miss my Mummy and Daddy too." A glimmer of hope flickered across Finn's eyes, maybe he wasn't the only one here who missed his parents.

Finn had been feeling lost. Not only was this place cold, dark and miserable but he felt as if he should feel normal here. Like this was just where he was meant to be. He had been feeling guilty for wanting to have his parents back when all of these kids seemed so content with their lives.

Rachel didn't miss the way his eyes lit up and she smiled softly and closed the door, gesturing for him to sit down. As their small backs leaned up against the dark wooden door frame, Rachel turned to Finn with questioning eyes, "So, Finn. Tell me a bit about yourself."

**Another Chapter Complete :D What did you think of this one... not my favourite but most of it was written late at night so I have to be fairly happy with myself. What will Rachel find out about Finn and will they get along or will their past uncover too many differences?! Will they be stuck in this orphanage forever?! Keep Reading to find out. **

**Please Follow, Favourite and REVIEW! HELP: I am in desperate need of idea's of where to go with this story! Any recommendations appreciated...any praise also admired 3 Thanks x**


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